Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Mackey Honor Their ‘Ella McCay’ Director James L. Brooks at CinemaCon

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Two key cast members of the upcoming movie “Ella McCay,” Academy Award-winner Jamie Lee Curtis and leading actress Emma Mackey, attended CinemaCon to recognize their esteemed director James L. Brooks with a Cinema Verité award and unveil an initial sneak peek of the film’s comedy aspect for the first time.

To begin with, when they stepped onto the stage at the Colosseum within Caesars Palace, they explained the storyline of the upcoming movie and their characters in it. This film, a comedy from 20th Century Studios scheduled for release on September 19, is directed by Brooks. The plot revolves around the intricate politics that ensue when a woman’s demanding job conflicts with her hectic personal life. The star-studded cast includes Mackey as the main character, along with Curtis, Woody Harrelson, Kumail Nanjiani, Spike Fearn, Ayo Edebiri, Rebecca Hall, Julie Kavner, Jack Lowden, Becky Ann Baker, Joey Brooks, and Albert Brooks.

As a gamer, I’ve got to hand it to Mackey – her acting is nothing short of brilliant! She plays my aunt and let me tell you, she’s Ella’s biggest supporter. After that, I’ve got to give a shout-out to Jim Brooks. Not every director can claim their work has reshaped the way we perceive storytelling, but Jim is one of those exceptional ones. His creations have given us cherished characters and tales that feel genuine, authentic, and deeply personal.

Curtis went on to say: “Jim portrays life in a genuine and truthful way, much like cinema verite – this is Jim’s essence.” Suitably, Brooks stepped forward onto the stage to accept his award, handed to him by Alan Bergman from Disney.

During his discussion, Brooks emphasized the significance of previews and shared an anecdote he had heard from a streaming executive who could determine within the first three minutes if a movie or TV show would be successful. This executive was data-driven, but Brooks made it clear that no amount of numbers can replicate the experience of being in a theater.

Later on, Brooks expressed that he would always remember his initial preview experience. Sitting outside, he drank numerous glasses of alcohol – cocktails which had no impact on him according to him – before moving towards the theater to view the movie with a crowd. Upon finishing, a colleague informed him that she noticed women crying in the ladies’ restroom. “That’s nothing compared to data,” he joked. Another noteworthy comment from his speech was: “Heaven is vast auditoriums filled with people enjoying popcorn, and the butter is French.”

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Brooks recounted an unforgettable preview experience. He spent the time beforehand drinking multiple glasses of alcoholic beverages – drinks that didn’t affect him at all, he noted – across the street. Once at the theater, he watched the film with a group. Afterwards, a coworker told him she saw women crying in the restroom for women. “That’s peanuts compared to data,” he humorously remarked. One of his other memorable quotes from the speech: “Heaven is spacious halls filled with people munching popcorn and the butter is French.

Following his acceptance speech, Brooks unveiled for the first time the movie scenes depicting the conflict between Ella and her father, portrayed by Harrelson. Later, she was granted an unprecedented career advancement when Governor (played by Albert Brooks) stepped down from his role and appointed her to the position at the young age of 34.

Ella McCay is set for release from 20th Century Studios on Sept. 19.

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2025-04-04 02:54